Siemens pledges $1.5 Million to Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation

Siemens Medical Solutions has committed $1.5 million to the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation. Siemens sees this gift as an investment in an essential workforce that is best equipped to move discoveries from the laboratory to patients, the company said.

The enormous cost of medical school often prevents young physicians interested in clinical research to actually go into the field. Many opt instead to go into patient practice in order to not get crushed by their bills. Advances in cancer research have suffered as a result.
   
The Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator Award addresses this issue. Each year five awardees are chosen to receive a five-year $750,000 grant to help support their salaries, research expenses, and school debt.

This nationally recognized program began in 2000, and the Foundation has since given awards to 29 junior physicians from around the country.

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